Calm your anxiety naturally with these 7 simple remedies
In a world full of daily stress triggers, including high intensity jobs, financial worries, and family drama, here at Moodica we know that it is very common to experience moments of intense anxiety over our lives and our futures. The key to overcoming this anxiety is to remember that it is fleeting, and to work through it in a productive, healthy way.
While you should work with a doctor to determine your best path to mental health, there are several proven natural remedies you can incorporate into your lifestyle that will greatly improve your overall well being. Next time your feel overwhelmed with stress and fear, try these simple methods to find relief.
- Aromatherapy
Did you know that simply breathing in certain scents has been proven to have a calming affect on people in stressful environments? Next time you feel anxiety coming on, reach for lavender, mint, or vanilla essential oils and take deep slow breaths in for instant relief.
2. Journaling
A big cause of anxiety is that we often do not fully process our negative thoughts and feelings. These feelings can fester if not recognized, brought to the surface, and thought through. A great way to get everything out is to write it all down, leave it there for a few minutes, and then come back and look at it with fresh insight.
3. Drinking Tea
While there are lots of herbal stress remedies to choose from, the easiest is drinking chamomile, green, or mint tea. Not only is the warmth and scent of the tea soothing, but research has shown that these teas contain properties known to calm nerves and reduce stress. The menthol in mint is a natural muscle relaxer, the polyphenol in green tea combats stress, and chamomile contains substances that affect the same area of the brain as anti-anxiety drugs.
4. Controlled Breathing
When experiencing anxiety, a common symptom is to have too rapid or too shallow breath. This can exasperate the problem, sending you into a spiral. Quickly pull yourself out by focusing on your breath. One calming breathing technique is the 4–7–8 breath cycle. First, take a big exhale through your mouth, next inhale through your nose for a count of four, then hold your breath for a count of seven, and finally breath out slowly through your mouth for eight seconds.
5. Healthy eating
Our diets have a huge impact on our moods, and in addition to avoiding excessive sugar, caffeine and alcohol, which can make anxiety and depression worse, eating foods rich in omega 3s, protein, and other vitamins and minerals goes a long way towards improving our emotional health. Here are 10 superfoods you can incorporate into your diet to reduce stress and anxiety today.
6. Taking a warm bath
Not only does a warm bath allow you some alone time to step away from your anxiety triggers, but research finds that warm water actually heats up your body, reducing muscle tension. Feeling warm all over may also positively alter your mood-controlling neural circuits, including serotonin.
7. Exercising
By incorporating 30 minutes of activity into your day, not only will you reap the physical benefits, but the proven mental benefits are well worth it too. Getting your blood pumping releases endorphins and serotonin and releases stress stored in your muscles. It can also be a great way to take a mental break from other distractions and clear our minds.
BONUS: Watching a relaxing video
In a recent experiment, it was discovered that while watching just 7 minutes of relaxing nature videos, people experienced an average 10% decrease in their pulse rate and described feelings of comfort, peace, and relaxation. So next time you feel a wave of anxiety, head over to Moodica and immerse yourself in one of our many soothing videos, such as these:
Even better, combine one of the other relaxing remedies with the Moodica experience to achieve maximum anxiety relief!
Moodica is a vacation for your brain, bringing you the most soothing sights and sounds on earth. Watch more relaxing and oddly satisfying videos on your desktop, Amazon Fire and Apple TV!
